Lilynette Gingerbuck (リリネット・ジンジャーバック, Ririnetto Jinjābakku; Viz: Lilynette Gingerback)[2] is an Arrancar. Apart from being an Arrancar, she is a sealed part of Coyote Starrk's power: when he uses his Resurrección, the two become one.

Contents

Appearance

Lilynette is a young-looking female Arrancar. Her outfit consists of white-colored briefs with a black line positioned in the middle, arm-warmers, a revealing vest with a high collar and thigh-high, fur-lined boots. Her Hollow hole is positioned in the center of her stomach. The remainder of her Hollow mask is the form of a helmet, with two horns on the top of her head. The left horn looks as if it has been cut off and the left half of the mask covers her left eye. Her right eye is light pink, with the left eye covered by her hollow mask and a flame design over the eyehole and she also has light green hair arranged in a very basic manner.[3]

Personality

Lilynette can be both cheerful and mischievous at the same time. She enjoys waking Coyote Starrk up in unusual ways, such as shoving her fist down his throat. Despite her childish behavior, she does have a more serious side, as she is concerned about the ominous occurrences in Hueco Mundo and shows sorrow over Aaroniero Arruruerie being killed.[4] She is rather proud, taking offense when underestimated due to her appearance.[5]

Her relationship with Starrk is also unique among the Espada and their subordinates, appearing more comical and lighthearted. She does not address him with the usual "-sama" suffix (a Japanese honorific similar to Lord or Master), as the other subordinates generally do for their respective Espada and simply calls him by his name.[4] As such, she is more like a younger sister than a servant to Starrk. Despite this familiarity, Lilynette does show a certain degree of respect for Starrk and knows of his true power, even when he chooses to be humble about it (or is simply too lazy to show it), to the point of being outraged at him allowing Baraggan Louisenbairn to lead the battle against the Shinigami in Karakura Town, knowing Starrk is higher in rank and power than him. In their separated forms, Lilynette retains all self-motivation and drive, while Starrk himself has next to none.[6]

History

Coyote Starrk and Lilynette were once part of the same being, who was always alone. This being tried to live with other Hollows, but they died just by being around it. Because of this, it, becoming jealous of the weak, wanted to become weak itself. In an attempt to escape this loneliness, it split its soul into two: Starrk and Lilynette. Claiming he does not remember which of them they originally looked like, Starrk suspects their original appearance corresponded to neither of them.[7]

When he split his soul, Starrk asked the newly formed Arrancar if she had a name. Telling him her name was Lilynette, she asked if he had a name, despite them being the same person. Telling her his, he threw her a cloth to wrap herself up in. As she asked him what they were to do now, he stated they could do anything. When she asked where they would go, he, stating they could go anywhere, assured Lilynette no matter what, they would stick together forever.[8] After being found by Sōsuke Aizen in front of mountains of dead Hollows, Starrk and Lilynette joined him because Starrk thought Aizen had the strength to stay near them without dying.[9]

Plot

Hueco Mundo arc

Lilynette wakes Starrk.

When Rukia Kuchiki kills the 9th Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Lilynette approaches Starrk, who is sleeping. She wakes him from his slumber by shoving her fingers down his throat, causing him to violently wake up and puke. Despite his discomfort, she cheerfully greets him when he recovers somewhat. When Starrk rolls over to sleep again, Lilynette, employing other methods of torture to try to force him to stay awake, tells him Aaroniero was killed. When Starrk maintains he is already aware of his death, she asks him what they should do, but Starrk asks her what she thinks he can do about it.[4]

Following an initial face down, Shunsui asks Starrk if Lilynette could be taken somewhere else during the battle, for he would have problems fighting with a child. When Lilynette responds with furious disbelief, Starrk tells her to be quiet, using the statement as an excuse to try to avoid a fight.[12] Later, she, arguing with Ukitake, states he probably should help Shunsui, due to Starrk's strength. When he politely refuses, Lilynette asks to fight him. Though Ukitake refuses to fight someone who looks like a young girl, she, drawing her sword, decides to fight him anyway.[13] Despite her confidence, Ukitake keeps her at bay, even blocking her Cero with his bare hands, upsetting her. Stating Lilynette's powers (specifically, her Cero) are not mature and are lesser than the powers of a Menos, Ukitake begs her to go home so he does not need to continue fighting her.[14]

Lilynette returns to Starrk's side.

Insisting on battling Ukitake, Lillynette, attempting countless attacks, fails miserably. Deflecting and forcing away Lilynette numerous times, Ukitake "trains" her by not allowing her to use her own sword. Becoming so frustrated she begins to cry, Lilynette still tries to get her sword back. Later, Starrk reveals he and Lilynette are one: when they evolved from Hollow into Arrancar, instead of splitting their power between their body and sword, they had split into two bodies and if they were to merge back to one, their full power would be released. With this, she merges with Starrk, much to Ukitake's shock.[15]

When the VisoredLove Aikawa and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi come to do battle with Starrk, he, depressed over Baraggan's death and Aizen's cold disregard of the 2nd Espada, lets them attack him. When he lies in the rubble after an attack, she encourages him to protect his friends by fighting.[16] This seems to renew him and he returns to re-engage the two in battle. Returning, Shunsui deals Starrk a fatal wound to the chest.[17] As Starrk remembers his past, Lilynette dies along with him.[18]

Equipment

Lilynette's sword.

Sword: Lilynette has a sword which is drawn from the stump of the missing horn on her mask fragment. It resembles a scimitar with a standard katana hilt and an oblong guard.[14] After merging with Starrk, her sword is beside Jūshirō Ukitake, where it is in the process of disintegrating.[19]

Powers & Abilities

Cero: Charging a light-green Cero through her left eye (which her mask remnants cover), Lilynette fires it from the center of her face. The power of the Cero is very weak, for Jūshirō Ukitake states even a Gillian-class Menos fires a more potent Cero.[14]

Spiritual Power: Despite being Starrk's other half, Lilynette is a rather weak Arrancar: during her duel against Ukitake, he fended her off with low-level Kidō and minimal effort and when she fired a Cero against him, he easily repelled it unarmed.[14]

Second Being

Los Lobos (群狼 (ロス・ロボス), Rosu Robosu; Spanish for "The Wolves", Japanese for "Wolf Pack"): Unlike all other known Arrancar, Lilynette does not have a Zanpakutō. She instead is the sealed form of Starrk's Zanpakutō and is necessary for Starrk to enter his Resurrección.

Resurrección: Due to Lilynette and Starrk having originally been one being,[20] she shares his Resurrección, Los Lobos. While she normally wields her own sword, in her and Starrk's Resurrección form, she is both of Starrk's guns. She can apparently still feel things and talk audibly in this form, for she says it hurts when he hits her against his head and cries out when he slaps the back end of the gun.[21] She is even able to shoot out of the guns by her own will as well.[22]

Appearances in Other Media

Trivia

Lilynette's death is significantly altered in the anime. In the manga, she dies alongside Starrk after the latter is fatally wounded by Shunsui Kyōraku's Irooni; however, in the anime, her and Starrk's final battle with Shunsui is extended, resulting in her dying before Starrk does while protecting him from Shunsui's Bushōgoma in wolf form and leaving Starrk to fight alone.[23]

(To Coyote Starrk) "What're you just layin' around for? Isn't this a battle of revenge? How pathetic!"[25]

(To Coyote Starrk) "You're such a moron, Starrk! You're the Primera, have some sense of your position! And you've just been putting up a front and haven't even tried to take this seriously!! Why do you think that Aizen made you number one?! Because he believes in your power, right!? If you don't want to lose any of your comrades then the only thing to do is fight!!!"[25]